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Pet Forum / Aquaria / Freshwater / July 2008Looking for a good power filter
Hello all, It's sad to see these newsgrops so dead now. They were a wonderful resource full of a lot of useful information. Now I only see spam. I have a question for anyoe left. I am setting up my 47 gallon corner tank again and would like to simplify things a bit. I have a Fluval 404 canister filter I used with the tank 2 years ago when I last had it set up. I am debating switching to a power filter to replace it, just because maintenance is much easier on these. I have been a big fan of AquaClear filters and have one tank running one now. But in the last few years, I don't know if something came along that is better than the venerable AquaClear line. Can anyone recommend anything good to use for an outside hanging power filter? Andy P.S. You know the drill. Remove the "nospam-" from my email address to email me directly. > Hello all, > [quoted text clipped - 20 lines] > P.S. You know the drill. Remove the "nospam-" from my email address to > email me directly. You are similar to myself, after tiring of filter changes, I have gone back to all under gravel filters ... However, I have no real info on what you request; I am only responding to let you know someone is here. LOL Regards, JS > > Hello all, > [quoted text clipped - 31 lines] > > - Show quoted text - Aqua Clear is still the bestpower filter out there that will not break your bank account with the need for propreitary filter media. Moves lots pof water, is adjustable, and easy to maintain and as for varous filter mediums, its limited only by your imagination. I have some AC filters running over 20 years trouble free! > Aqua Clear is still the bestpower filter out there that will not break > your bank account with the need for propreitary filter media. Moves > lots pof water, is adjustable, and easy to maintain and as for varous > filter mediums, its limited only by your imagination. I have some AC > filters running over 20 years trouble free! My Aquaclear is getting a tiny bit noisy. Would a new impeller fix that? Andy > You are similar to myself, after tiring of filter changes, I have gone > back to all under gravel filters ... [quoted text clipped - 4 lines] > Regards, > JS Perhaps others will come... Andy > Perhaps others will come... > > Andy I can't help but wonder what has taken the place of the USENET groups? Forums? You suppose? I have a hard time believing that everyone has abandoned tropical fish as a hobby, or that everyone has no need for a vehicle to discuss their hobby with others on ... I guess we will eventually figure it out ... Regards, JS >> Perhaps others will come... >> [quoted text clipped - 11 lines] > Regards, > JS I think it's because of the spam in a lot of the message groups. In some groups, people have been very rude to those who were simply asking questions about their fish. BTW, I have a Penguin 330 filter on my 55 gallon aquarium and it has always done the job for me. I have guppies in that tank. I don't know how it does with messier fish. > ... > I think it's because of the spam in a lot of the message groups. In some > groups, people have been very rude to those who were simply asking > questions about their fish. BTW, I have a Penguin 330 filter on my 55 gallon > aquarium and it has always done the job for me. I have guppies in that > tank. I don't know how it does with messier fish. I have a 90 gallon tank which is down at the moment. Only have a 29 G with a Red Pacu, Oscar, three Red Tinfoil Barbs and a Plecostomus. The Oscar had hole in the head disease; after much treatment and vitamins, he is finally on the mend. Regards, JS > "John Smith" <assemblywizard@gmail.com> wrote in message > I think it's because of the spam in a lot of the message groups. In some > groups, people have been very rude to those who were simply asking > questions about their fish. BTW, I have a Penguin 330 filter on my 55 > gallon aquarium and it has always done the job for me. I have guppies in > that tank. I don't know how it does with messier fish. I used a Penguin a while back. Even bought the biowheel kit for it. I do really like the convenience of the Aquaclear, where you can litterally shove anything inside of it. Andy > "John Smith" <assemblywizard@gmail.com> wrote in message > I think it's because of the spam in a lot of the message groups. In some > groups, people have been very rude to those who were simply asking > questions about their fish. BTW, I have a Penguin 330 filter on my 55 > gallon aquarium and it has always done the job for me. I have guppies in > that tank. I don't know how it does with messier fish. In regards to spam, a lot of unmoderated web forums are full of spam. Captchas helped with that, but even they are failing. Sad that Internet, probably the greatest source of free information ever, has become a battle ground, trying to find useless information among all the spam out there... Andy > I can't help but wonder what has taken the place of the USENET groups? > Forums? You suppose? [quoted text clipped - 7 lines] > Regards, > JS I would think we based forums probably have. You can access those from work a lot easier than you can Usenet. I still prefer Usenet, though. With a good NNTP client, it's a lot faster than a web based forum. Andy You are similar to myself, after tiring of filter changes, I have gone > back to all under gravel filters ... > Regards, > JS Under gravel filters are basically cesspools waiting to happen. If your tank is large enough, run a canister. Basically, they're silent. With HOB's you can hear a little water turbulence, but if you don't keep the water level up all the way it'll be a lot noisier. Basically, there's better filters out there today, and they even came out with mini HOB's. Some run a 1g or less. UGF's are a pain in the butt to clean, and a pain to keep clean too. You need either power heads or a pump with airstones to run them. They often have dead spots. These can turn into deep doo doo quick. Sometimes toxic bubbles of gas form under the plates. If released into the tank, that gas can kill your fish. Sounds nuts, I know. But it's a very real possibility, even for the seasoned hobbyists. > You are similar to myself, after tiring of filter changes, I have gone >> back to all under gravel filters ... [quoted text clipped - 16 lines] > Sounds nuts, I know. But it's a very real possibility, even for the > seasoned hobbyists. Hmmm ... I have had tropical fish (on and off) since the 1970's. There are troubles with all forms of filters. Perhaps I have been lucky. First I started off with air driven box filters on small tanks. Then more box filters, per aquarium, on larger tanks. Then hang on the back external filters. Then, homemade/commercial external canister filters--finally back to UGFs ... It has been a long road ... and, I can imagine going back to hang on the back (HOTB) or external canister (EC) at some date in the future ... ya' never know, ya' just never know ... On average, I suppose I break down the UGF once every six months or so--I will NOT kid you, a BIG tank is a chore ... sometimes I make it a year or better. I use a vacuum frequently to scrub the gravel (making sure to cut off the powerheads BEFORE vacuuming!), perhaps that is my secret ... Whatever, I simply will not argue one filter over another ... choose your favorite ... Regards, JS > > You are similar to myself, after tiring of filter changes, I have gone > >> back to all under gravel filters ... [quoted text clipped - 41 lines] > > - Show quoted text - I can only say, an UGF has its place, as do other filters, but I would never go back to one if I did not have to at any cost. I do not think I would be keeping fish if I had to break down any of our tanks on a 6 month cycle yet alone even a yearly cycle to houseclean the UGF. To me that would even be a pain on a 5 gal tank........ I also have kept fish for as long as I can remember and remember those little corner bubble / filter flos air powered filters as well, and ran the famed Dyna Flo filters whenI could afford them. Ever since HOBs got reliable and functional it was a no brainer for me on what filters I liked. I tried bio wheel Penguins, Cannisters of all kinds and still went back to the old work horse Aqua Clears. I also like to go with as large a filter as possible and do not adhere to the fitlers listed for such and such a gal tank. For the most part they are overated in performance and marginal for tanks they are recomended for if on the upper side of capacity. Its easy to put a sponge prefilter over intake strainers to protect fry, and in the process it also is a means of reducing flow if your hob is non adjustable type. Right now I have a home brew filter in the works to handle a 600 gal outdoor tropical pond setup. Its designed basically like a HOB is but without a tank to hang it on. > ... > I also have kept fish for as long as I can remember and remember those [quoted text clipped - 8 lines] > if on the upper side of capacity. > ... Actually, the very best filter I ever owned, I made my self ... I had acquired a homemade aquarium; it was made of glass about 5/8 thick glass. It had a Bank of America logo on the bottom glass, etched into the glass; where the guy got this glass from, I can only guess; he did an excellent job on the tanks construction though--I'd acquired it from a flea market and the guy who sold it to me had acquired it from a storage facilitys' "non-payment of rent sale." The top and bottom frames were constructed from 1-1/4 non-magnetic stainless steel ... and it was 160+ gals when you converted the sq inches of volume to gallons; I remember that ... and it weighted a TON! Anyway, the filter I constructed was from a large dia pvc pipe, about 8 inches in dia. I put caps on the end, with a ~7 in. screw plug on the top for access. Inside, I put standoffs and an acrylic plate with holes in the bottom. I put charcoal in the bottom and filter floss on the top, then secured the plug in the top. There were 1/2 inch vinyl tubes for inlet and outlet supplies, which attached to "necked down" fittings at the top and bottom of this homemade filter; except for the plug, all was secured (glued) in place with pvc pipe cement. As I remember, I changed filter media about once every two plus months. The real secret behind this filter was the pump. It was a plastic unit about 3x3x5 that I dropped in the tank and plugged the vinyl tubing to. From the manufacture info on the pump, I believed it came from some old commercial photo bath equipment--if I could ever find such a pump, again, I would construct another such filter--I have not found one through much searching. :-( Regards, JS > Under gravel filters are basically cesspools waiting to happen. > If your tank is large enough, run a canister. Basically, they're [quoted text clipped - 10 lines] > Sounds nuts, I know. But it's a very real possibility, even for the > seasoned hobbyists. I ran undergravels for a while and never had any of these problems. My personal preference is for a HOT power filter, but I think that's mostly because I have bad knees, and it kills me to pull the canister out from under the tank. The Fluval 304 is currently running in my living room and it is not silent. If the TV is off, I can definitely hear the impeller turning. I'll let you know how quiet the Aquaclear 300 is, as soon as I hook it up tomorrow. Has anyone tried the new Tetra power filter? I'm kinda wary of new filters. I bought a Second Nature wet/dry that had that sponge on the front. They were discontinued pretty fast... I also own a Diatomagic from Second Nature, which I love. I wish those weren't discontinued. I recommend them to everyone... Andy > You are similar to myself, after tiring of filter changes, I have gone >> back to all under gravel filters ... [quoted text clipped - 5 lines] > If your tank is large enough, run a canister. Basically, they're > silent. Actually, I have been thinking about this. I don't believe they are "cesspools" at all. I think of their workings as quite natural. In decaying plants, fish waste, etc. there are only natural elements. Nitrogen, phosphorus, potash, calcium, carbon, your trace elements, etc. Most ALL of these will seek to finally form oxides. Oxides are highly stable. All organics should eventually reach a state of stability. The solubles dissolved into the water and removed with regular water changes and the solids trapped under the UFG. If you are doing things right, these solids should be in a very stable state--i.e., nothing left to decay. If the fish are removed when the UGF is broken down and the tank/gravel cleaned, they should suffer no damage from such a cleaning. > With HOB's you can hear a little water turbulence, but if you don't > keep the water level up all the way it'll be a lot noisier. > Basically, there's better filters out there today, and they even came > out with mini HOB's. Some run a 1g or less. The AquaClear filters are excellent. Their filter media is the cheapest to maintain. They work well. Other HOBs are good to, most will cost you an arm and a leg in filter element replacements, parts replacement (such as impellers when they get noisy, etc. BUT, pet shops will love you and your wallet!) Some external canisters are excellent. I would prefer to handcraft my own external, however, and construct it to withstand battleground conditions (HEAVY DUTY!) > UGF's are a pain in the butt to clean, and a pain to keep clean too. > You need either power heads or a pump with airstones to run them. [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] > Sounds nuts, I know. But it's a very real possibility, even for the > seasoned hobbyists. I have one form or another of UGFs since the beginning of the 1970's (at least a Betta in a 2-1/2 gallon with UGF on my desk--if nothing else.) I have read horror stories about them, UGFs--I really just don't see them as that big of a hassle. Now, all that said, the 250 gallon I have is a REAL chore--it is in storage right now, I will bring it out this winter. A 125 gallon aquarium takes me a little over an hour from start to finish--from beginning break down to beginning refill: 1) The wife sits with a garden hose at the tank and replaces water with a nozzle which can stop/ start the water. 2) I an outside with few 5 gallon pails siphoning the gravel from the tank to the pails, wife inside guiding the siphon picking up the gravel. 3) I throughly rinse the gravels in the pails with a garden hose. 4) I remove the UGF plates, take them outside to disinfect with bleach/brush, then dechlor with vinegar and rinse. 5) Scrub aquarium glass with a green pad, rinse and siphon remaining water from aquarium. 6) UGF plates are put back in the aquarium, gravel is put on top and spread even, refill begins. With a 250+ gallon aquarium there is just more of everything to clean--gravel, etc. As far as disease goes, I can't say I have noticed any difference between HOB, externals, UGS, etc. But then, I have always handled disease the right way. A fish gets sick in the tank, it goes into a hospital tank. All the other fish are moved to another tank for observation/possible-treatment. The diseased tank is torn down and disinfected with bleach and dechlorinated with vinegar. The gravels are boiled. Nothing which was in the diseased tank is ignored, thermometers, gravel vacs, siphon hoses, water change buckets, diatom filters, etc. are ALL sterilized! I just don't give the particular disease a chance to become "treatment/antibiotic resistant." It just doesn't make any difference what filter you have--this is work! I didn't get into fish/plants/aquariums because it was a "easy" hobby with "no work" involved. But, if you are meticulous in your aquarium/fish-keeping habits, you are rewarded with fish which die of old age. Or, else you move to a small place and have to give some of them away--a while back, I had to give away a LARGE Red Pacu, had him since he was a baby--I still feel bad about it; he just got TOO BIG (~3 feet--I should not have kept him as long as I did.) :-( If you have a stable tank, been set up awhile, and you are having fish die--you are doing something wrong--OTHER than running a UGF. Introduction of new fish, plants, live-foods, over-feeding, etc. into a tank always provides a chance for disease. Ignoring necessary water changes always will provide an avenue for toxic elements, chemicals, etc. to build up. Etc., etc., etc. ... an ounce of common sense can provide a ton of protection, IMHO ... Newbies have fish die ... end of story. Regards, JS > I am setting up my 47 gallon corner tank again and would like to > simplify things a bit. I have a Fluval 404 canister filter I used with > the tank 2 years ago when I last had it set up. I am debating > switching to a power filter to replace it, just because maintenance is > much easier on these. Aquaclear is still the best of the HOB filters. I've got them on two tanks. But I've got a Rena XP1 canister filter on another tank and I find it easier, or at least as easy, to maintain. And the outlet bar does a much better job of circulating the water than the Aquaclears do. Both require a major cleaning every other month. But with the small sponges in the Aquaclears, I have to rinse them out every other week. The larger sponges in the Rena only get rinsed out once a month and I'm beginning to think that's overkill as they're never very dirty. I may go to every other month on those as well. My experience is based on heavily planted tanks. If yours are not my experience may not be applicable. > Aquaclear is still the best of the HOB filters. I've got them on two > tanks. But I've got a Rena XP1 canister filter on another tank and I find [quoted text clipped - 9 lines] > My experience is based on heavily planted tanks. If yours are not my > experience may not be applicable. My goal is to have a heavily planted tank with Freshwater Angelfish. So your experience would definitely apply! Andy >> Aquaclear is still the best of the HOB filters. I've got them on two >> tanks. But I've got a Rena XP1 canister filter on another tank and I find [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] > My goal is to have a heavily planted tank with Freshwater Angelfish. > So your experience would definitely apply! My memory may be faulty on this, but I seem to remember reading that angelfish don't like a lot of turbulence. If that's so, the Aquaclears may be a better choice for that tank. But the plants would benefit from the increased circulation of a spray bar. So I guess there's no simple answer. > My memory may be faulty on this, but I seem to remember reading that > angelfish don't like a lot of turbulence. If that's so, the Aquaclears > may be a better choice for that tank. But the plants would benefit from > the increased circulation of a spray bar. So I guess there's no simple > answer. I'll have to do some reading. The Fluval 304 is up and running now. Took a while to get all the air our of the canister, but now everything seems OK. I don't have a spray bar for it, and none of the local pet stores I have called have it in stock. So, I am going to have to order it on-line and wait a few days for it to come in. Now I just a new impeller for the Aquaclear to make it nice and quiet.  SignatureAndy > > My memory may be faulty on this, but I seem to remember reading that > > angelfish don't like a lot of turbulence. If that's so, the Aquaclears [quoted text clipped - 14 lines] > -- > Andy Check the impeller shaft for wear also. Its not uncommon for tiny piece of substrate to get in between the impeller bore and shaft and wear rings and grooves on the shaft. You can easily replace the shaft if necessay as it just pulls out with a pair of pliers and pushes back in easy. > Check the impeller shaft for wear also. Its not uncommon for tiny > piece of substrate to get in between the impeller bore and shaft and > wear rings and grooves on the shaft. You can easily replace the shaft > if necessay as it just pulls out with a pair of pliers and pushes back > in easy. Ok, just need to buy the parts. > > Check the impeller shaft for wear also. Its not uncommon for tiny > > piece of substrate to get in between the impeller bore and shaft and [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] > > Ok, just need to buy the parts. Check out the Maxi-Jet line of powerheads. They have quite reasonable flow and head rates and are very dependable and cheap. Or the Danner line of Mag Drive or small POndmaster by Danner which also have very respectable head and pressure values, better than the typical pumps found in use with factory made filters of any brand. The Maxi Jet and Danner brands are all submersible and the Maxi-'s are smaller than the average coffee cup is and rated at 1200 GPH and put little to no latent heat back into a aquarium which is also a plus in a lot of cases. Both are pretty darn cheap to buy as well. I use a lot of the Maxi-Jet 1200 and 900 sized powerheads for pushing water to sumps etc on my various setups and the smaller 400 and 600 Maxi and the even smaller 404 etc for current making in the tanks, or pulling water out for water changes. Just a nice small all around dependable pump that works as advertised for a long time. Stay away from the Aqua Clear and Hydor powerheads. Aqua Clar may make a gread HOB filter but their line of powerheads suck in regards to longevity of use and flow and head rates. > My memory may be faulty on this, but I seem to remember reading that > angelfish don't like a lot of turbulence. If that's so, the Aquaclears > may be a better choice for that tank. But the plants would benefit from > the increased circulation of a spray bar. So I guess there's no simple > answer. I run a canister filter on my 75g Angelfish tank. It's a Magnum350. Never a problem for the angels. On a 29g, as well as 20gH's, I ran Wisper power filters, aka HOB's (hang on back). All filters were for larger tanks than what they were in (a general rule for filtration for me), and they too were fine with angels. The only time either might be a problem is for fry or very young angels, I would think. |
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